RosiesBoss

G'day, all, There are lots of alternatives. One that I used to motorise my GBL County was to make use of Hornby 28XX slidebars, crosshead and connecting rod, mated to an old Airfix/Hornby 61XX cylinder block that had lost its plastic slidebars. (Details here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/119112-motorisation-of-gbl-county-4-6-0/) The 28XX parts are still listed on Peter's Spares (X8834). These could be grafted onto the damaged Hornby County cylinders in the same way as I did. Once painted black, they look fine. Regards, Rob

G'day, Londontram, I've used both the Nellie and Tri-ang M7 for several GWR 4-4-0s. They have the same wheelbase, but the M7 has some extra weight cast into the rear of the chassis which I had to remove for my GBL City of Truro project. More details are in Post #26 here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/89093-branchlines-city-of-truro-complete-chassisdetailing-kit/page-2 I hope this helps. Regards, Rob

G'day, all, I’ve used the old Tri-ang Nellie chassis block for several GWR 4-4-0s. The Tri-ang M7 class has the same driving wheel spacing also. The axle spacing on Nellie/M7 is 8’3”. The axle spacing on GWR County, City, Bulldog, Duke, Dukedog, Atbara and 3521 classes is 8’6”. There’s only 1mm difference in 4mm scale. I’m happy with that. Given that the wheels and axles need to be swapped for Romford/Markit wheels, the opportunity is there to change the gears as well so as to provide more reasonable (lower) top speeds. In some cases the X04 motor has been too big, so I’ve used other designs. Using these principles, I’ve motorised/kitbashed two Cities, Tre Pol and Pen, County of Chester, and Earl Cawdor. More details may be found here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70438-gwr-4-4-0s-on-carmarthen-junction/ and http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96216-motorise-gbl-city-of-truro/ Happy modelling and regards, Rob

G'day, Tim, I have toyed with the same idea: to use assemble a 3521 using the DG boiler/cab/footplate, but I baulked at the idea of fretting out the spindly outside frames. I haven't been able to find drawings of this class, although sketches are shown here: http://www.gwr.org.uk/no440s.html and also in Jim Champ "An Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development" (Pen & Sword Transport, 2018). There seem to be plenty of images of the class, both in books and for sale on eBay, so sorting out most details should be possible. The Dean bogie could be sourced from the Triang/Hornby Dean single or the Airfix/Dapol City of Truro. The Tri-ang Nellie chassis has about the right wheelbase, as seen here with my motorised model of CoT: The short wheelbase tender could be cobbled together from the Airfix/Dapol CoT kit, as described here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1405/entry-14843-a-tale-of-two-tenders/. So, I guess this conversion is do-able. Happy modelling! Regards, Rob

G'day, Mikkel, Thank you for your comments. Yes, I did see Mike's blog - Reference # 3 in my story. It was helpful and inspiring. Regards, Rob

G'day, all, Thank you to all who have made encouraging comments. The K's 2361 class is certainly a suitable alternative, with about the right wheelbase and underhung springs on the driven axles. Modifying the front axle would be the most significant challenge here - provided one can afford a virgin, unmade kit. I have considered making one of this class from another Mainline/Hornby Dean Goods, but have decided that I will make something else. Some years ago, I put a whitemetal chassis under a Mainline Dean Goods (See Post #11 here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69067-dean-goods/.) It runs well, but is hardly distinctive. I am currently getting all the bits together to rebuild this model again - into a 388 class (Armstrong Goods). Most of the outside frame details are similar to those on the 1076 0-6-0PT, so I can adapt the templates I used for my model as described here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/107593-gwr-1076-class-double-framed-pannier-tank/. There is a drawing in J.M.Maskelyne "Locomotives I Have Known" (Percival Marshall, 1959) of a 388 class with a round-top boiler. There are plenty of photos of those with Belpaire boilers, so reference to those should facilitate construction of an acceptable model, so "watch this space". Regards, Rob

Introduction Readers of RMWeb may be aware of my interest in building models of locos and rolling stock that ran on the ex-Cambrian Railways part of the GWR. Refs. 7-11 describe some of them. On page 12 of Ref. 6 is an image of a GWR Stella class, several of which were sent to central Wales towards the end of their service. I chose to model 3515, one of the last survivors, which was allocated to Brecon and which is recorded as having run with a 3000 gallon tender. Some of the challenges of modelling such small prototypes include the selection of a suitable motor, how to mount it, and managing to achieve sufficient traction for the model to be able to haul a suitable load. This led me to choose between three possible systems: Motor and gearbox in loco, limiting room for ballast weights for traction Motorised tender pushing freewheeling loco (as described in Ref.3) Motor in tender, with flexible drive to gearbox in well-ballasted loco I selected option #3, which made use of many components already to hand in my scrapbox and among my spares. Many years ago, I completed an H0 whitemetal kit of a NSWGR Z19 class 0-6-0 that had been abandoned as “too hard” by a fellow club member. This was designed to use option #3, but came without its motor or drive shafts. Once completed, it looked like this and still runs very well: My collection also includes a similarly powered Bachmann H0 “Jupiter”, so I had experience with operating and maintaining such drive systems. I therefore chose to make the model from these major components (a full list is detailed below): Mainline Dean Goods body Chassis frame and gearbox from a (very sad) Rivarossi/AHM V&TRR 4-4-0 Tender-mounted motor 3000 gallon tender body from an Airfix “City of Truro” kit The main drawing that I used is included in Ref.2. Adjusted to 4mm scale, it provided the templates used to prepare the dummy outside frames. I chose to equip the loco with a 3000 gallon tender, as used by 3515. This was a good fit for the motor chosen for this project, Construction - Chassis The Rivarossi body was dismantled: The chassis was further cut down and modified to accept a Romford axle and bearings for the forward driving wheels. The rear axle bearings were moved back to correspond with the wheel spacing of the Dean Goods body, and then reinforced with 1/8” i.d. copper tube which now supports another Romford axle. The Rivarossi gear was removed from its original axle, shimmed with brass and then mounted on a splined Romford axle. In this way, the Rivarossi plastic bearings have been replaced by more durable metal ones but the rather useful gearbox has been retained. The cylinders and footplate were cut off and the remainder trimmed until it was a good fit under the (as-yet unaltered) Dean Goods body. A brass front frame extension was fabricated, the design including a simple springing system which uses strips of phos bronze. This assembly was then araldited to the remains of the front section of the Rivarossi chassis. The original Rivarossi ballast weight was cut down to leave just the centre section that covers the drive shaft and its bearings. The Mainline weight, which fills the boiler, was shortened so that, when fitted, the body easily fits the new chassis. An 8BA bolt was fitted to a drilled/tapped hole in the frame, behind the rear axle, to mount a coupling for the tender. This, in turn, was made from scrap brass tube and sheet, cut to size. The Rivarossi chassis was designed to use the “American system”, ie picking up power from the wheels on one side of the loco and wheels on the other side of the tender. To this end, the plastic loco chassis had a pair of plunger pickups, which were still in good order. So, after re-positioning them to align with the bigger Romford driving wheels (and before refitting the original keeper plate), they looked like this: New outside frames were made from thin copper sheet, cut to paper templates glued to the inner surface and impressed with rivet detail from behind, as detailed in Ref.12. Holes for the extended axles were drilled, ensuring that these would be just a clearance fit, to facilitate alignment while setting up the mounting points between outer and inner frames. Steps were made from brass strip and soldered to the frames. Small pieces of brass tube were soldered to the inner surface of the outer frames, halfway between the driving axles. These were positioned to locate over a 10BA threaded rod screwed through the chassis. L-shaped brass strips were soldered to the inner surface of the outer frame, just above the front steps. These were drilled to be a clearance fit over the 12BA screw which holds the front wheel/spring assembly. The axle holes were then opened up. Cranks and locknuts were also fitted. The frames were fitted with a pair of axlebox/spring assemblies for the front axle, stainless steel connecting rods and a new Hornby buffer beam. Dummy underhung springs were recovered from a scrapped (distorted) Hornby long-wheelbase wagon chassis. Hangers were made from copper wire, brass strip and plastic cable insulation. These were super-glued together and then glued to the dummy outside frames. Construction – Body As noted in Ref.4, most of the Dean Goods body above the footplate can be used for making a “Stella”. Here it is, as received: Modifications that were made included: Enlarging the clearances between the wheel splashers, to accommodate the new chassis Reinforcing the dragbox with thin brass channel, which also provided a rear location point for the new chassis Opening up a slot in the centre of the cab footplate to clear the flexible driveshaft. Removal of front wheel splashers and redundant smokebox door fittings and restoration of gaps with thin card and epoxy cement Creation of a slot behind the footplate valence to locate the top of the outer frame. Relocation of sandboxes and footplate handrails Construction - Tender An inner chassis was made from rectangular-section, thin-walled brass tube, sculpted to hide behind the Airfix plastic tender frames. Axle holes were drilled to be a loose fit. The outer bearings (in the plastic frames) were bushed with Peco wagon bearings. The coupling to loco relies on the original moulded Airfix peg. To provide for the “American” pickup system, wheels on one side of each tender axle were shorted to the axle with conductive silver paint. This avoids the drag so often observed with the alternative wiper pickups – especially with non-driving wheels. Coating the inner side was insufficient, so a second application was made to the outer side. The motor was bolted on top of the inner brass chassis and the wheels were fitted, including insulating washers to prevent short circuits while running. The chassis was test fitted to a new Airfix tender body side, to confirm the fit. Electrical connections were made to the motor and the mechanical components test run to confirm the polarity of those connections. It moved in the correct direction first time! Mouldings for lining and handrails were removed from the Airfix body. The front moulding was reinforced around the loco-tender coupling peg with epoxy cement. A slot for the flexible drive was opened up in this component and also in the top moulding. A flywheel was turned from brass stock and fitted to the motor, to provide for smoother running. The body was then assembled and fitted to the inner brass chassis, after relieving any tightness in the bearings. It’s a very neat fit! The loco & tender were then tested under power. Some adjustments were made to improve clearances around the flexible drive, but the rest of the mechanism worked well. Finishing Handrails, smokebox dart and sandboxes were fitted. Not much to go, now! Front lamp brackets were glued in place, then the model was painted with Humbrol acrylic GWR green plus Humbrol enamels for the remainder of colours. Home-printed cabside numbers were affixed, together with appropriate HMRS Pressfix transfers. The model was then varnished with Humbrol satin clear enamel. Results Reflections Most of this model was built from parts already to hand, either as spares, bought “just in case”, or from bits and pieces recovered from donated wrecks. The only items bought-in for the project were: Dean Goods body: $56 Romford cranks: $8.00 Romford extended axles: $20.00 Conductive paint: $13.95 Had I bought a Brassmasters Stella kit, plus their tender, the costs would have been GBP190 (over A$360) just for the body parts and I would have still had to pay for air mail to Oz, wheels, axles, motor, gears and gearbox. I haven’t built a museum-quality model, but my example does run and haul a respectable load. I’ve enjoyed the challenges of kitbashing the body, designing and assembling my own mechanism and getting it to work. It’s been fun – and isn’t that what it’s all about? Parts List Mainline Dean Goods body (2nd-hand, via eBay) Chassis frame and gearbox from a Rivarossi /AHM V&TRR 4-4-0 (donated wreck) Tender-mounted motor – Airfix MRRC Slimline (new, old stock, purchased over 30 years ago) Tender body from an Airfix “City of Truro” kit (new, old stock) Romford 21mm dia driving wheels (new, old stock) Romford extended axles & bearings 1/8” i.d. copper tube 16mm tender wheels – outside bearings Rectangular-section thin-walled brass tube 0.5mm copper sheet 0.4mm dia. phosphor bronze wire for handrails Brass handrail knobs Offcuts of copper wire and brass strip Heat-affected Hornby long wheelbase wagon chassis (used for its springs) Kemo conductive paint Miscellaneous BA screws, nuts & washers References and Further Reading http://www.gwr.org.uk/no-tenders.html http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/Downloads/Stella%20Instructions%20parts%20list%20and%20diagrams.pdf http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1405/entry-14843-a-tale-of-two-tenders/ Mike Flemming: “GWR Stella 2-4-0 – A Victorian conversion project in 4mm scale” (Railway Modeller, April 2013) Anon.: “Locomotives of the Great Western Railway – Six-wheeled tender engines” (RCTS, 1956) C.C.Green: “Cambrian Railways Album – 2” (Ian Allan, 1981) http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126196-gwr-ex-cambrian-railways-large-belpaire-passenger-4-4-0-94-class/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88895-gwr-ex-cambrian-railways-73-class-0-6-0/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/72460-gwr-1331-ex-whitland-cardigan-0-6-0st-project/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70468-gwr-absorbed-locos-on-carmarthen-junction/ http://www.gwr.org.uk/nocamrys5.html http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/107593-gwr-1076-class-double-framed-pannier-tank/

G'day, all, I'm not surprised that "sales of existing reintroduced kits are not overwhelming". I have been looking on-line for Nucast Partnership ever since it was announced that Branchlines & South Eastern Finecast had taken over the range. Even today, Google could not find a listing. The Branchlines blog has still not been updated since 2008 and the SE Finecast website does not seem to list any of the former NuCast range. So, for those of us living on the other side of the world, where do we go to find out what is available and then make a choice as to what to buy? Regards, Rob (in Sydney, Australia)

The Maitland Steamfest is on again this weekend. Here are images of two of the transfer trips, passing through Cowan: 3642 with a non-airconditioned coach set, with (diesel) 4490 trailing: 6029 with a part-airconditioned coaching set, with (diesels) 4201 and 4001 just behind the steamer: Regards, Rob

St Lukes Anglican Church, 155-157 Galston Road, Hornsby Heights, NSW, Australia will be hosting its 31st annual Model Railway Exhibition over the weekend of 5-6 May 2018. Around 16 exhibits, both local and visiting, will be displayed including Hornby live steam locomotives, Lego display and many more. Family friendly attractions will include a craft stall, jumping castle, children’s activities and a variety of refreshments. Opening times will be Saturday 5 May: Exhibition 9am to 5pm Sunday 6 May: Church Service 9.30am – 11am Morning Tea: 11am Exhibition 12noon – 4pm Admission will be by donation as suggested below: Adult: $7.00 Child: $3.00 Senior/Pensioner: $5.00 Family: $15.00 Net proceeds will be directed to children’s and youth work in the Hornsby Heights area. Enquiries: 61 2 9477 3140 mike@stlukeschurch.com.au

I used to think that every new RTR model that was released devalued the efforts I had made to create a model of the same prototype. Let me explain. I have been actively modelling (not just playing with my train set) since the mid-1960s and cut my modelling teeth with Airfix and Kitmaster kits. Some of those models are still in use, albeit refreshed from time to time. While still in high school, I decided to accumulate a representative collection of GWR/BR(W) locos, together with suitable rolling stock. Very little was available then as RTR, so I tried my hand at scratchbuilding a couple of loco bodies. I soon tired of those, as they were just too crude: poorly soldered brass bodies on Tri-ang chassis. I moved on to a couple of whitemetal kits and adapting Kitmaster and Airfix bodies on scratchbuilt chassis. These looked much better. Re-working/rebuilding of RTR models followed. In 1975, while visiting the UK, I bought a “truckload” of kits, including many K’s, Peco and PC examples, which I began to build over the next few years. Subsequently, many RTR GWR types were released and (what a surprise!) several of those were already in my collection. Rather than just give up, I chose to review my own models and upgraded them where applicable. I did also buy some RTR types not already on hand. My collection now includes the following non-RTR models that have been (or are about to be) duplicated by RTR examples. I still enjoy running and exhibiting them. My modelling skills have continued to improve and I still get a thrill from seeing each of my new models emerge from my workshop, whether someone else has made one or not. I enjoy the challenge and the journey. Somehow, my RTR models don’t give me as much satisfaction. 5 “Portishead” – K’s kit 848 – Kitbashed Airfix/Dapol 1014 “County of Glamorgan” – Motorised GBL 2161 – Centre Models kit 2251 – Airfix/Tri-ang 2517 – Mainline/Wills/Airfix 2818 – K’s kit 2953 “Titley Court” – Tri-ang/Dublo/Airfix 3026 – K’s kit 3040 – K’s kit 3265 “Tre Pol & Pen” – Kitbashed Airfix 3440 “City of Truro” – Motorised Airfix 3713 “City of Chester” – Motorised GBL 3814 “County of Chester” – Kitbashed Airfix 4833 – K’s kit 4508 – Crownline/Lima 6435 – rebuilt Tri-ang Hornby 70021 “Morning Star” – Motorised GBL 78005 – Crownline/Hornby 82004 – Detailed Tri-ang 15105 – Kitmaster body on Lima chassis M79971 – Motorised Dapol railbus GNR No.1 – Motorised Kitmaster CR 123 – Motorised GBL L & M “Rocket” – Motorised GBL LNER 4468 “Mallard” – Motorised GBL The skills that I learned and practised on the above models are now in use for the occasional scratchbuild, such as you may find here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126196-gwr-ex-cambrian-railways-large-belpaire-passenger-4-4-0-94-class/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/132253-gwr-ex-cardiff-railway-kitson-0-6-2t/ Happy modelling! Regards, Rob

No worries, Weaselfish! 1670 is briefly described here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70468-gwr-absorbed-locos-on-carmarthen-junction/ 83 is shown in much more detail here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/123358-gwr-ex-rhymney-railway-unrebuilt-p-class-0-6-2t/ I hope this satisfies your (very welcome) curiosity. Regards, Rob

Introduction My loco collection has included several typical South Wales 0-6-2Ts: 83 (Rhymney Railway P class): Rebuilt from Dublo ex-LNER N2 411 (Taff Vale O3 class): Wills body on scratchbuilt chassis 1670 (ex-Brecon & Merthyr Railway): Rebuilt Dublo body on scrachbuilt chassis 6667: Mainline body on Bachmann 57XX chassis (recently sold) Here they are: I recently decided to add another example to their number – a Kitson-built one, built for the Cardiff Railway. Two pairs were built, in 1905 (GWR Nos. 160-1) and 1919 (GWR Nos. 151-2). Here’s a builder’s photo of 160: They were all scrapped between 1929 and 1936, the last one being 152. Minimal alterations were done on them by the GWR, but did include the usual safety valve cover. 151-2 were fitted with vacuum brakes, but 160-1 were not. I chose to model the last survivor in early 1930s condition. http://rcts.zenfolio.com/steam-gwr/0-6-2t/hA0EE7738#ha0ee7738 Photos of these striking tank engines in GWR service are not common, but do pop up from time to time on ebay. Refs. 4-7 provided more details of their history and a few images. Refs 5 & 6 provided drawings, to be used in the light of such photos as I could find. Some of their Kitson contemporaries have survived to be preserved here is Oz, such as Richmond Vale Railway 2-8-2T No.9 “Pelaw Main”(Kitson 4567 of 1908): Construction – Chassis I did consider using a commercial RTR or kit chassis under a scratchbuilt body. This 0-6-2T’s axle spacings are: 7’5”+6’0”+6’6.25”. I had in my spares box standard 0-6-0 chassis from Hornby and Dublo, as well as kit chassis for LMS 4F, LNER J72 and LNER J65. Awaiting use in future projects, I also had Bachmann Thomas and Hornby Toby chassis. None of these was even close and I could not find any suitable kits. I therefore chose to scratchbuild the chassis. Sufficient brass channel was cut from stock purchased at a local scrap metal dealer. It was trimmed to shape, approximating the profile of the prototype, as drawn in Ref.6. Holes for each driving axle were drilled undersize, then opened out carefully to 1/8” diameter, while adjusting their centres to be true, ie axles square to the chassis and all in line with each other. An opening was made in the top of the channel, above the third axle, to take the assembled motor mount. The nearby top section of the channel was grooved to accept a short length of the motor. The axle holes for the third axle were opened up to accept copper bearings made from 1/8” i.d. tube, then slots 1/8” wide were cut through below them. This provided a way to insert the axle, already fitted with a gear and in place in the motor mount. This assembly would be held in place by the bearings and the wheels, when fitted. This design facilitates future maintenance. The axle holes for the 2mm dia rear axle were modified to be slots to the bottom of the channel. A hole large enough to clear an 8BA threaded rod was drilled through the top of the channel above the axle. A simple suspension system was made from a small piece of brass tube, soldered to the bottom of the rod. The axle passes through the tube; a small spring is fitted to the rod, which is then pushed through the hole in the channel and secured (loosely) with an 8BA nut. The axles are able to move freely up and down and have some lateral movement also. This is the same design as used in ex-Cam Rlys 1196 (Ref.1) and ex-TVR 411 (Ref.2) and works very well, regardless of the direction of travel. Connecting rods were made from stainless steel strips, drilled with tungsten carbide bits to suit the wheelbase. These were test fitted and adjusted using Swiss files and diamond impregnated burrs until, with no motor fitted, the chassis rolled easily and with no binding. Brass washers were then soldered into place on the crankpins. The motor was refitted and test run to confirm that there was still no binding. It ran like a Singer sewing machine! I decided to mount simple phos bronze wire pickups above the chassis, instead of below. This was to both conserve the underframe silhouette and avoid future misalignment of the pickups when the model was being handled. The pickups were therefore made simply from PC board and wire, screwed to the top of the chassis, with a wire connecting front to rear. This assembly was then connected to the motor, together with a greencap capacitor and tested to confirm the polarity of the motor. Bachmann tension-lock couplings were then temporarily fitted and the chassis was tested on the track with a suitable load. It all worked well! At this stage, the chassis looked like this: Sandboxes were made from ¼” square section brass bar, cut and ground to shape, then glued to the chassis. Construction – Body Please note! The body was constructed with reference to the Ian Beattie drawing in Ref.6, but also to whatever photos were discovered for 151 and 152. This drawing incorrectly shows buffer beams that have rounded lower corners at each end – a feature found in GWR 153-5. It also does not include the vacuum ejector pipe fitted to the RHS of 151-2 and seen in the photo of 151, taken in 1924 and advertised for sale on ebay in Jan 2018. The foundation for the body was made by making the two buffer beams, joining them with lengths of T-section brass and then soldering them to a footplate cut from thin brass sheet, prepared with openings for motor, gearbox and wheels. Brass 8BA bolts were soldered to holes drilled in positions corresponding to the temporary coupling bolts on the chassis. Those chassis holes were then enlarged to be a clearance fit for the 8BA bolts. The footplate assembly was then test fitted to the chassis and small adjustments made to ensure clearance around all wheels. Wheel splashers were fabricated from brass sheet and soldered to the footplate, checking that sufficient clearance was left for the front driving wheels. Fillets of solder were used to provide the curves at front and rear of the footplate valences, where they meet the buffer beams. Paper patterns/templates for the cabsides, bunker back, cab front and rear, tank sides, front and tops were cut from spare copies of the Ian Beattie drawing (Ref.6). These were used to mark out some brass sheet, which was then cut until each piece was a good fit against the drawing. A length of ¾”dia copper pipe was cut to size for the boiler and a shorter piece cut for the smokebox, split and then wrapped around the front of the longer piece. Cutouts were made on the underside of the boiler so it would fit over the motor/gearbox. The various sheet brass and boiler/smokebox/tank front pieces were soldered together, as shown in the following images. The dome and safety valve cover were turned on the lathe from brass stock, using the technique described on p.74 et seq. of Ref.8. (Shown here with a commercially made chimney.) A sliver of brass sheet was cut to size and then soldered to the front side of each cab doorway, to both cover the gap between tank side and cab side, as well as to provide a bracket to affix the upper end of each forward handrail. All four cab handrails were then soldered in place. 0.5mm dia holes were drilled (from below) to take the small handrails on the footplate within the tank cutout and then the handrails were bent to shape and soldered in. Four sets of footplate steps were then made up from brass sheet and soldered into place. The vacuum ejector pipe was made from brass wire and a 10BA washer and soldered into place. The smokebox door was made from a suitably sized and modified Hornby spare, with a new dart made from a handrail knob and phos bronze wire. The backhead and bunker details were made from some Hornby parts bought many years ago as job lots from Modelspares. The cab floor was made from thick polystyrene sheet, with cutouts around projecting bits of the chassis. The cab roof was cut from thin brass sheet, curved to shape, with two lengths of square section brass tube soldered to the underside, both to strengthen and also to locate the roof to the cab. It is a push fit, not soldered to the cabsides. Whistles were soldered to the cab roof. Remaining handrails were fitted as shown in the drawing (Ref.6). A small step, shown in a photo of 161 taken at Cardiff Docks in 1927, was made from brass sheet and glued to the front of the right side tank. Lamp brackets were bent up from domestic staples and glued in position. Chimney, dome and safety valve cover were now glued in place. Scale couplings were soldered to the buffer beams. Tank fillers were glued in place on the tank tops. Buffers and brake pipes were glued on. The loco now looked like this: Chassis components were painted satin black. The body was spray painted with grey undercoat and left to dry. Rivet transfers were applied as shown in drawings and photos of the class. These were sealed with Humbrol Decalfix and left to dry overnight. Boiler bands were made from green vinyl insulating tape and affixed. The body was brush painted in post-1928 GWR green/black. Cab glazing and backhead were installed. Transfers and numbers were applied, given time to dry, then overcoated with Humbrol satin clear. The model was then reassembled, coaled and manned. Results Reflections This project had quite a few challenges – not least the scarcity of photos of the prototypes and the limitations of the available drawings. Still, it was satisfying to see the model emerge from the scrap metal from which it was made. I think that, despite the errors and inaccuracies that may be seen in the photos, it captures the look of this striking design. Materials 12mm brass C channel 18mm dia Romford driving wheels/axles Brassmasters motor mount Nylon gear set 12V motor (brand unknown) ¾” dia Copper pipe 0.005” brass sheet 2mm high T-section brass rod ¼” square section brass rod Stainless steel strips recovered from old windscreen wipers Romford driving wheel cranks 14mm trailing wheels (possibly Gibson or Romford) Brass dome (turned up on lathe) Brass safety valve (turned up on lathe) Brass chimney (make unknown) Brass whistles (Peter’s spares) Plastic backhead and bunker details (Hornby spares) Plastic smokebox door (Hornby L6996 spare) Plastic tank fillers (Lima spares) Brass handrail knobs Tri-ang buffers Brass rod for sand and vacuum ejector pipes 0.4mm dia. phosphor bronze wire for pickups and handrails Printed circuit board material for pickups Bachmann tension-lock couplings Misc. brass BA screws, washers and nuts Wire-wound guitar E string – for vacuum pipes Humbrol enamels: 55 (copper); 16 (brass); 60 (matt red); 85 (satin black); 33 (matt black); 135 (satin clear) Humbrol acrylic: RC405 (GWR green) Green vinyl insulating tape (for boiler bands) HMRS Pressfix transfers Transfers for rivets: “Signs of all Kinds” (Adelaide, SA, Australia) Soak 156 and “Archer Fine Transfers” (Youngsville, NC, USA) Set AR88089 References and related articles http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70468-gwr-absorbed-locos-on-carmarthen-junction/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/90340-taff-vale-railway-o3-class-0-6-2t/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/123358-gwr-ex-rhymney-railway-unrebuilt-p-class-0-6-2t/ RCTS “The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway – Part 10 – Absorbed Engines1922-1947 (RCTS, 1966) J.H.Russell: “A Pictorial Record of Great Western Absorbed Engines” (OPC, 1978) Railway Modeller, June 1994 Mike Romans et al.: “Locomotives Illustrated 66: Great Western 0-6-2Ts” (Ian Allen, Jul-Aug 1989) Guy Williams: “Model Locomotive Construction in 4mm Scale” (Ian Allen, 1979)

G'day, all, I've tried quite a variety of cleaning methods on my rails over the last 50+ years of active modelling: white spirit/mineral turpentine abrasive papers methylated spirit Isocol (IPA) Peco track rubbers Fleischmann track rubbers Track Magic Kitchen paper towels White spirit and mineral turpentine, meant to thin enamel paints, contain aromatic hydrocarbons that damage plastics, either by partially dissolving some or leaching out the plasticisers and so embrittling others. They also de-fat skin and can cause dermatitis (or worse!). Abrasive papers are messy and inconvenient, often leaving little bits that can be hard to extract from rail joints. Methylated spirit has been, in my experience, a poor solvent, not removing enough of the gunge that builds up on my tracks. Isocol is better than methylated spirit, but does leave an oily residue. Peco rubbers work, but are flimsy and not as good as those made by Fleischmann. I find the latter very convenient, as they are rigid enough to use end-on in narrow spaces. I also use Track Magic as a follow-up to the Fleischmann rubbers, applied principally to wheel treads of locomotives, railcars and trams. For the working overhead wire on my tramway http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/77505-rosemount-tramway/, I gently rub the Fleischmann rubber from underneath, follow up with a coarse kitchen paper towel, then apply Track Magic with its supplied applicator. A few circuits with one of my 4-wheeler trams, re-applying the Track Magic to stubborn areas of track and overhead wire, and running becomes smooth and reliable. I use these methods also on my Carmarthen Junction layout, which operates both Hornby live steam and PWM DC control systems. I hope these comments are of some interest. Regards, Rob

G'day, all, I also have a couple of 1980s-era Airfix 61XX class - one renumbered to 5164. They both still run ok, but have always been somewhat noisy when used with my PWM-style controllers. One of them has had its plastic slidebar assembly totally fail. I did cobble together a replacement from parts from a Mainline Manor, but more recently used current Hornby parts to restore it. I've done a similar repair on a Hornby example owned by a friend (which is much quieter than my Airfix ones). Both of mine still have their original wheels, motors and traction tyres and cope well with my Peco Streamline track, which includes a few Insulfrog points. These models do seem to be a mix of both good and bad. Regards, Rob

G'day, ShildonShunter, In 1955, the NSWGR held a display of locos and rolling stock at Sydney Station, which included a C38 class pacific loco on rollers. Here is a link to a short clip, which includes shots of it in operation. Does this fit your brief? Regards, Rob

G'day, tigerburnie, I make mine from clear plastic packaging material, as described in Post #16 here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/120663-gwrwr-train-reporting-numbers/ I hope this helps. Regards, Rob

Many RMWeb regulars are aware that I have a large GWR/BR(W) collection and layout. However, I have a soft spot for a few LNER designs and the collection also includes some passenger types from that area. Three of those run on live steam. For some time, I have owned the following A4s: 7 “Sir Nigel Gresley” – Hornby Dublo 3-rail model, purchased from the estate of an old friend 60030 “Golden Fleece” – Hornby Dublo 2-rail model, purchased from the estate of an old friend 2509 “Silver Link” – Hornby live steam 60008 “Dwight D Eisenhower” – Hornby live steam In early Nov 2017, I was given a GBL static model of 4468 Mallard by a former workmate. As I don’t like just looking at models, but prefer to see them run, I decided to motorise her, as cost-effectively as I could. I checked the dimensions and those of available donor model chassis and decided to acquire an old Hornby A3 from an upcoming “bring and buy” sale and use this as the basis. I did find one – an old R855 Tri-ang Hornby Flying Scotsman, which cost me A$15.00 (about GBP8.65). Once I dismantled the GBL model, I realised that, for me, the simplest way to mobilise it would be to adapt both loco and tender chassis to the GBL superstructure. Minimal changes were required to the latter - mainly adapting the mounting points. On the loco chassis, front bogie wheels were replaced with modern Hornby ones. Driving wheels were regauged to 14.3mm back-to back. A new hole was drilled in the front of the chassis to locate over (under?) the front mounting point of the body. A groove was filed in the rear of the chassis to allow for the rear mounting screw/washer. The old “firebox light” circuit was removed. The old tension-lock coupling was removed and discarded. The tender chassis was re-wheeled with old plain-bearinged 14mm dia coach wheels. Internal side mounting points for the superstructure were ground off and a new tender-to-loco coupling fabricated from brass and installed under the chassis. The old large tension-lock coupling was replaced with a modern narrow Bachmann one. The superstructure was then glued to the chassis with “Uhu” impact cement. All loco and tender wheels were then repainted with Humbol gloss maroon. Once dry, everything was reassembled. Total time spent on this little diversion was about 6 hours, spread over a week or two. Apart from the donor model, everything else came from my stock of bits and pieces. Here is 4468, posing next to Carmarthen Junction Shed: And here she is, with the other A4s in the collection – a kind of mini-Great Gathering: Compared with some of my other GBL motorising projects, this one was a “doddle” – simple, quick, inexpensive and easy. Those interested in these earlier efforts will find them here: GBL City of Truro: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96216-motorise-gbl-city-of-truro GBL Caledonian Single: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102076-motorisation-of-gbl-caledonian-single-and-upgrading-of-her-coaches/ GBL Stephenson’s Rocket: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/103776-motorise-gbl-stephensons-rocket/ GBL Britannia: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/108081-motorisation-of-gbl-britannia/ GBL County 4-6-0: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/119112-motorisation-of-gbl-county-4-6-0/ Happy modelling! Regards, Rob

G'day, all, Another possibility would be the ex-Cardiff Railway 0-6-2s, nos. 160, 161, 151 and 152, whose wheelbase was 7'5" + 6'0" + 6'6.5". Very imposing locos, with full-length side tanks, sloping down towards the front. Regards, Rob

G'day, mikesndbs I also recommend using 12.5mm wheels for unpowered bogies, as I did with my project: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67038-blue-pullman-cheap-and-cheerful/ I'm not sure where you would now buy the wheels I used for the power bogie, though. Regards, Rob

Introduction 82004 worked on the WR from new (Tyseley, 1952) until transferred to the SR (Bath Green Park, 1959) This loco is still a favourite model. Probably my first second-hand loco, I originally bought it for about $5 from Searle’s hobby shop in Pitt Street, Sydney around 1965, while still attending high school. My mother persuaded me not to use it to motorise an Airfix 61XX, as it was (then) in such good condition. Around 2009, I overhauled the chassis, substituting Romford wheels and finer, more complete valve gear (probably current Hornby spares for a Stanier 4MT 2-6-4T). It looked much better for this. It still has its original X04 motor and Tri-ang gears and runs strongly and reliably. It still awaited an overhaul of the body, which would include new, separate handrails, transfers and full repaint. Here she is, showing off her improved chassis: Having just finished another makeover (Ref.1), I was in the right frame of mind to begin another. I began by reviewing the official BR general arrangement drawing: I then looked closely at Ian Beattie’s drawings in Ref.2. These references confirmed my suspicions that the old Tri-ang moulding, though good for its time (it was introduced in 1956), had more than a few discrepancies. I chose to limit the makeover to the following: Lower the body on the chassis by about 3mm Fit larger cylinders Improve the buffers Fit separate handrails Replace some moulded pipework (as done with my GBL Britannia) Re-shape the front buffer beam and fit scale couplings to both buffer beams Fit front lamp brackets Fabricate and fit new steps to the footplate Reduce the width at the outer end of each pony truck Glaze the cab Recess the cab doors Repaint and apply new lining and numbers I had no illusions that, once finished, this model could be mistaken for a modern Bachmann example. I would just be completing the overhaul which commenced in 2009. It would still be a re-worked Tri-ang model. Principal Aim To further improve the appearance of this old model to be more consistent with other models in my collection Parts List Hornby X1809 Fowler 2-6-4T cylinders Thin brass sheet Etched scale couplings Hornby X6206 28XX class buffers Bachmann slim tension-lock couplings Brass handrail knobs 0.4mm dia phosphor-bronze wire Humbrol enamels and acrylics HMRS Pressfix lining and number transfers Actions The model was test run “as is” to verify that there were no mechanical issues before dismantling began. The body was then removed from the chassis and set aside. Chassis modifications: Original cylinders replaced by Hornby Fowler 2-6-4T cylinder block Lower the motion bracket Grind back (trim/narrow) the front sandboxes Cut off the very front portion of the chassis Grind back the sloping section at the front of the chassis Refresh the 8BA hole for the body mounting screw Extend the 8BA threaded section of the body mounting screw Narrow the ends of both pony trucks, to clear new footplate steps Body modifications: Open up new rear body mounting holes, 3mm above the originals Shave a small amount of plastic from the underside of the coal bunker Adjust the clearances for the connecting rod big end and expansion link Modify the front buffer beam with insets at each end Re-shape the ends of the rear buffer beam Fabricate 6 sets of steps for the footplate from 0.005” sheet brass Cut out existing cab doors and mount new, recessed ones Shave off moulded handrails and replace them with discrete wire ones on brass knobs Fit new buffers and scale couplers to both buffer beams Fit front lamp brackets, made from domestic staples Repaint the model with Humbrol enamels and acrylics Line and letter the model, using HMRS BR & GWR Pressfix transfers Results She looks a bit different, now: Reflections The replacement cylinders are still not quite big enough, but they were the largest that could be shoehorned into the chassis. It was quite challenging to get the modified mechanism to run smoothly and without binding anywhere in the valve gear. The rest of the upgrade was relatively routine. For this project, the only component bought in was the cylinder block. The rest came from existing spares. It pays to keep a well-stocked spares bin and to replenish it when scarce items become available! References http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/128181-tri-ang-dock-shunter-makeover/ Railway Modeller, April 1999. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/108081-motorisation-of-gbl-britannia/ Richard Derry et al.: “The Book of the BR Standards” (Irwell Press, 1997) Colour photo of 82030 here: http://www.82045.org.uk/82045_about.html

Introduction Who doesn’t need a makeover from time to time? I have a substantial collection of models, some dating back to the 1950s. Such models, when used regularly, start to show their age. In some cases, early customising efforts now seem crude. In others, wear and tear needs to be corrected. Readers of Post #2 of Ref. 1 will note that I possess a very old and battered Tri-ang dock shunter. It had a hard life before I was given it as “beyond repair” around 1965. It was my first successful restoration to running condition and I still have a soft spot for it. Its mechanism is similar to several others which I have worked on over the years and seems to be almost unbreakable. These models include ancient Tri-ang Transcontinental diesel locos which have been altered to resemble early NSWGR engines as well as a rebuilt Tri-ang Blue Pullman set. Here are some images: All of these, including the dock shunter, have been fitted with finer-flanged Airfix wheels, sold as spares for diesel locos. As modified, the undersides of all of them look like this: In the case of the dock shunter, while it ran well, it looked awful! Faults included: All steps missing/broken Major crack on front right corner, from the top of the hood to the buffer beam Chipped front buffer beam Obsolete, large tension-lock couplings Unsuitable buffers Very worn paintwork Moulded handrails Aims Replace missing steps Replace damaged front buffer beam Repair crack in body Fit new buffers, scale couplings and slim tension-lock couplings Replace moulded handrails with separate handrails with turned brass knobs Repaint the model in a fresh industrial style livery Parts List Thin copper sheet Etched scale couplings Markits round coach buffers Bachmann slim tension-lock couplings Brass handrail knobs 0.4mm dia phosphor-bronze wire Humbrol enamels Gold water-slide transfers Actions The body was removed from the chassis and set aside. The chassis was thoroughly serviced and test run to ensure there were no issues. The body was then checked over to confirm the scope of repairs needed. Remaining traces of the old steps were removed, then new steps were soldered up from thin copper and attached with epoxy cement. Epoxy was also used to fill cracks and restore a broken window frame. Old Tri-ang buffers and couplings were removed, together with crude scale couplings. Oversized holes were filled with epoxy. The front buffer beam was ground back and a new one fabricated from thin copper sheet and attached with epoxy cement. New holes were drilled for buffers and scale couplings. Moulded handrails were carved off and replaced with wire ones mounted in brass knobs. Prior to painting, the model looked like this: The body was spray primed grey, then brush painted with Humbrol enamels. The cab windows were then glazed with clear plastic recovered from packaging. A crew was fitted, transfers applied and then the body was lacquered with Humbrol satin clear. Results It’s no longer an ugly duckling: Seen shunting at Carmarthen Junction: Reflections “Tich” no longer looks like the poor relation when seen near other models in my collection. She’s still just a freelance Tri-ang dock shunter, but operates smoothly through all speed ranges and can move a respectable load. Importantly, she is easily controlled down to a crawl – an important function for a shunter. She will look fine in a future model factory setting. I’m happy with the result. Oh yes! I almost forgot! The little boy (my son) who learned how (not!) to burn out this model’s first armature in 1987 has grown up to become an aerospace engineer working for SpaceX in California, helping to design space vehicles to go to Mars. He’s still interested in technical things……….. References Posts #2 & #11 here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70550-carmarthen-junction-miscellena/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67038-blue-pullman-cheap-and-cheerful/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/110243-earl-cawdor-makeover/

G'day, Colin, Hornby also make them for their lighted Pullmans. Here's a link to some at Peter's Spares: http://www.petersspares.com/Hornby-x9096-pullman-coach-with-lighting-wheel-set.ir?cName=spares-Hornby-spares-all Regards, Rob

G'day, Shaun, Thanks for your interest. The old 4-2-2 chassis that Tri-ang used for their Caledonian and Dean single models has pickups only on the driving and trailing wheels. I understand that later Hornby Dean singles have pickups on the front bogie wheels. I have modified both of my original Dean singles with pickups in the tenders and Bullfrog Snot applied to the driving wheels, so they can each pull an 8-coach set of modern Hornby clerestory coaches with ease. The fourth chassis of this type that I have used is now part of my motorised Kitmaster Stirling single, which only has the Tri-ang style pickups on the loco, but has a brass channel inner frame under the tender to provide stability when running. Details of that project are here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67037-motorising-a-kitmaster-stirling-single/ With a bit of care and experimentation, these old designs of chassis can be made to run surprisingly well. Don't be afraid to have a go! Regards, Rob

G'day, outcastjack, Thank you for your comments. Over the last year, I have been teaching myself how to turn small items on a midi-sized wood lathe, taking tips from books and Youtube videos. The experience gained here was useful in trying my hand with an old modelmaker's metalworking lathe which I had been given some years ago as a display piece. (I understand that it is around 100 years old.) It had been cosmetically restored, but its main bearings were very worn, so it could not produce anything of acceptable finish. I therefore shimmed the main bearings with offcuts of brass sheet, sharpened the tools, set them to the right height (same techniques as I had learned on the wood lathe) and had a go. Each piece came good on the first attempt. I worked very slowly and carefully, taking about half a day for each item and measuring regularly to ensure I got the dimensions and shapes as close as I could with my limited skills and experience. I think my apprenticeship on the wood lathe was of great help. I was happy with my first serious work on the metalworking lathe. Regards, Rob